The Nintendo DS has always seemed a little bit too ‘kiddy’ for me, but with the release of Chinatown Wars, things look like they’re about to change. This game looks better for the fact that it’s a DS-specific title, not some hand-me down re-jigging of a Playstation title. The stylus seems to be an integral part of the game, rather than some tagged-on annoyance.

What also helps is the presence of personal fav MF Doom on the soundtrack. Oh, and Ghostface Killah. Delicious. Time to get me a DS.

This spacey Canadian has been on my ‘phones for the past week or so. His free (as in beer) album ‘Skybase’ deserves a listen, especially for those of you who appreciate stuff like Deltron 3030 and DJ Krush. It’s very sci-fi. It’s very underground hip-hop. It’s very good. I might as well just quote from label Neferiu Records website:

I’d say don’t sleep, but this is the stuff you’d actually hear if you happened to pass out at a drive-in theater while watching a double feature of ‘Cosmic Man’ and ‘Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers’. Please download it, it’s so sick.

Like the idea of Muxtape, but feel held back by the reality that you’re a lazy bastard or don’t have the ability to make such important decisions like ‘what should i put on my mixtape’? Maybe like me, you struggle on both fronts. Try Favtape. Simply enter your last.fm (or pandora) username and a page will be generated with a playlist of songs you can listen through. Or force upon you friends. It uses javascript, flash and magic like all brilliant mashups on the web.

This is about the band, not the international crime fighting organisation. Boom boom! I’m so lonely… ANYWAY, last week we went to see one of my favourite current bands for the 1st time. I love Interpol. I think ‘Slow Hands’ is one of the best rock tunes ever and I completely shrug off the common, “Joy Division did this already” comments. They’re on their 3rd (slightly disappointing, but still solid) album now and I don’t have much to say about the gig. It was technically spot on, but it felt a bit cold. Clinical almost. I’m not used seeing big bands I guess (last one of similar standing was Death Cab for Cutie). They were tight, almost too tight, and I felt myself becoming annoyed by the (again, very impressive) guitarists show-boating. Mark E Smith wouldn’t stand for this nonscence y’know. Anyway, I digress. The best thing about this gig wasn’t Interpol (good as they were) or the fact that it was my first visit to the new Sheffield Carling Academy. Oh, about that; they need to get some bloody fans. Just get the air to cycle. Bloody hell guys, c’mon *mops brow*. A decent venue, but you just know that in 6 months it’ll be the dirtiest scruffiest dump in town.

What I really enjoyed last Wednesday was Ladytron. I’ve been fond of their chirpy electro-pop from the days of ‘Playgirl‘ and their move to a darker sound on 2005s ‘Witching Hour‘ was almost jarring, but oh so acceptable. This years new album ‘Velocifero‘ is much in the same vein and tracks like my personal highlight,’Seasons Of Illusions‘, which sound so snarling, disgusted and aloof are very much welcome. In the end, Ladytron, who seem to try as hard as possible to come across as cold and clinical with their black dress, chant-like lyric delivery and complete inability to look even mildly amused actually felt a lot warmer than the more ‘bouncy’ main act.

Coldplay (aka “Radiohead for bed-wetters”) are getting a lot of radio play. Too much. Even on ‘alternative music station’; BBC 6music, they pop-up a surprising amount. Like they were/are with the iPhone, the BBC are currently in a multi-media Coldplay-luvy blitz (although the ‘toys out of the pram’ moment that Chris Martin gave Radio 4 is pretty funny). We’re told repeatedly how big they are. They’re so big because we’re constantly told about them! It’s a vicious circle. With the new album, ‘Viva la Vida’ (aka “The beginners guide to raising your bittorrent ratio”) it’s just more evidence of ripping off others for fun and profit (mainly profit, actually).

Now indie band the Creaky Boards are claiming that they wuz robbed. Sure, this could just be coincidence and a bit of cheeky publicity grabbing from the ‘Boards, but remember this is Coldplay we’re talking about. This is the band responsible for ensuring that any time Kraftwurks gentle Computer Love is played, the younger members of the beige-Mondeo owning public cry, “isn’t this a Coldplay cover?”.

It’s not just melodic piracy either, it struck me that the current visual style Coldplay have recently adopted closely parallels that of teenage-angst mongers ‘My Chemical Romance’. I’m not the only one to notice this.

In short: Music by the numbers (lead by what the market deems profitable, as opposed to musical integrity) : Still tedious.

The James Lavelle posse are on tour again. We went to see them in Sheffield and it wasn’t what we expected. There was less emphasis on the turntables and much more on the full rock band that basically drove the show. What we expected was more DJ Shadow, what we got was more 65daysofstatic. Guess we should have listened to the last album before we went to see the show. None of this is a complaint, however.

Things should move on. I liked Psyence Fiction, but I don’t want to see it again and again. The last UNKLE album; War Stories isn’t very ‘them’, but it stands well on it’s own and the show definitely reflected this. One thing that has stayed constant is Lavelle’s leaning towards collaborations. What made the 1st album great was that they got people like Mike D and Thom Yorke involved and the new album has guest appearances by people like Josh Homme and one of my personal favorites; the Duke Spirit. I heard that the London show featured appearances by Ian Brown, Badly Drawn Boy and others. Up in Sheffield of course, we didn’t have such treats. The stand-in vocalist was good, but we were left wanting Ian Brown, I think. Still, a good show and the album is worth checking just as long as you’re not expecting another Never, Never Land.

Happy new year. Lets ring in the new year with a short documentary about 39 year old piece of music that changed the world. A tale that highlights the ridiculousness of copyright law. That said, I don’t agree with what the narrator says about Squarepusher!

Texan band Spoon have caused the old ears to prick up now I’ve heard their new album; Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. It’s a definite contender for my album of the year. It’s certainly in my top 10 (sorry, M.I.A., not this time!).The whole thing is just so chilled, relaxed, yet funky and without filler. A little Beck-esque in humour and manner, yet without quite as strained nuttyness. Slap it on and be taken away like it’s not even trying. Maybe they’re not. This is the 6th album from Spoon and from what I’ve heard; the greatest.